Operation One Night Stand (20 page)

“Hi.”

“Hi.”
He smiled and my stomach flopped.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just hanging out.”

I smirked and rolled my eyes.
“I mean what are you doing standing among women’s dresses?”

“Oh!
You should have been more specific.
I’m here shopping with my sister.”

I craned my neck looking for a female version of Brian.
He laughed.
“She’s in the dressing room.”

I hadn’t noticed anyone walk through, but then again I hadn’t noticed Yolanda and Kelly were absent, either.

“You look, uh, nice.”
He scratched the back of his head, causing his already tussled hair to poof out a bit more.
It was cute.

I smiled.
“Nice?
You think this dress”—I walked toward him slowly—“is just
nice
?”

I liked how the height of my shoes had my line of sight even with his mouth.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
“Well, let’s see you walk that way.”
He pointed toward the mirror as he leaned against the wall.

I turned slowly and looked over my shoulder as I tried to sway my ass without looking like a cartoon.
When I reached the mirror, I stared at his reflection and smiled.

“Maybe”—he coughed—“that dress is a little bit more than just nice.”

“A little, huh?”

“Yeah.
I wouldn’t want your head to get all big and whatnot.”
He rubbed his thumb along his lip before shoving his hands in his pockets and shrugging.

I stepped out of my heels and placed them back in the box as I heard a woman calling Brian’s name.
I turned my head around so fast I thought I’d get whiplash.
Standing before me in the very first black beaded dress I’d tried on was a slight woman with long wavy red hair, full lips, and Brian’s baby blues.

“Who is this?”
She stepped forward with her hand extended while she looked at Brian.

“This is Caroline Frost.
The one I was telling you about.
Caroline, this is my sister Siobhan.”

I whipped my head in his direction.
He was telling his sister about me?

“Oh!
You’re the one who works with Yolanda Page!
Is it true what they say about her?
Is she really a dragon lady?
I heard she’s impossible to work with.”

Siobhan leaned in like she was trading secrets with a girlfriend.
Since I was never one to gossip, I didn’t quite know how to answer.

“Well, she’s tough for sure, but I’m learning so much from her.
I think those things are said by people who don’t know her.”

Siobhan’s face fell like I’d popped her last party balloon.
“Oh, well.
That’s great.
I didn’t mean that, you know—”

I placed my hand on her arm.
“It’s okay.
I was scared of her at first.
She’s really a great person.”

A warm smile spread across Siobhan’s face.
“So, are you working with Michael Mortimer?
What’s he like?”

“Don’t mind her,” Brian said.
“She’s just looking for dirt.
All the great journalists look for dirt.”

“Oh, shut up!
Brian’s just jealous because I get to meet all the fabulous celebrities and he’s stuck running a bar.”

“I meet some interesting people, right, Caroline?”
He winked at me.
It made me feel slightly flustered.

“You’re a journalist?”

“Well, trying to be.
I’ve been assigned some literary dinner next week and I heard Michael would be there.
I’d love to bring an interview to my editor.”

“Well, then you should join Caroline.”
Yolanda walked into the foyer in standard Yolanda fashion.
She owned the room.
Siobhan blushed, obviously flustered.

“I will have the car pick you up after Caroline next Saturday.
You’ll sit with them and after, Caroline will make sure you get a few minutes with Michael.
Will you be joining her, dear?”
She turned her attention to Brian.

“Um, I don’t, well, I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Well, of course you should.
You can keep Caroline out of trouble while your sister interviews Michael.”
She turned to me.
“Which shoes did you choose, Caroline?”
I pointed at the box on the chair and she nodded.
“Fine.
Kelly knows what to do.
Give everything to her.
I will see you at work on Monday.
With your
completed
notes.
Am I clear?”

“Crystal.”

“Good.
I expect nothing less.”
She turned back after she’d begun walking away.
“Oh, and Siobhan, you would do well to ask Michael if he thinks I am a dragon lady.
I’d be interested to know what he thinks.”

The three of us froze for minutes after she’d left before Brian finally let out a booming laugh.
“I told you your big mouth would get you in trouble!”

“I am not in trouble!
She invited me to the dinner!
As her guest.”
She sat next to me after I’d plopped on the chaise.
“You don’t think I am in trouble, do you?”

I shook my head.
At least I didn’t think Siobhan was in trouble.
I’d seen a glimpse of Yolanda that made me appreciate her even more.

Siobhan and I changed in the dressing rooms and I handed my things to Kelly.

“Well, I’ll see you later.
Nice to meet you, Siobhan.”

“Wait!
Caroline!
What are you doing for dinner?
I’d love to pick your brain about Michael and Yolanda.
I promise, nothing inappropriate.
I just want to be prepared.”

“Shiv, I am sure she has plans.”

“Oh, right.
You probably have a date or something.”

I caught a look in Brian’s eyes.
Was it regret?
Disappointment?

“Actually, no.
It’s just me and Sarah sitting around eating Chinese.
You’re more than welcome to join us.”

“Oh thank you!”
She hugged me.
“We’ll see you then!”

“We?”

“Yeah, silly.
I can’t leave my baby brother home on a Saturday night, now can I?”

I smiled as Brian looked uncomfortable.
“No.
I guess you can’t.”

Siobhan grabbed for her purse.
“You should get Brian’s number so you can text him the address.
I’m always losing my phone.”
She raised her eyebrows and looked toward Brian.

Always losing her phone, my ass.
“I think I have it already.”
I raised an eyebrow when I saw Brian smile at my words.

“Yeah.
I guess you do.”
He rubbed the side of his cheek.
“Just, um, text me the address.
What time?”

“Six.”
I took a few steps backward before turning.
As I walked away I heard Siobhan whisper, “You’re right.
She is very pretty.”

“Yeah, she is.”

S
arah buzzed them in at six.
She and I had just wiped out a bottle of Pinot and were perusing the take-out menu.

Siobhan and Brian entered through the open apartment door with a dusting of snow on their shoulders.

“Hey!
Your apartment is great!”
Siobhan unzipped her coat and handed it to me.

“Great to see you.
This is my roommate, Sarah.”

“I’ve heard so much about you.”
Sarah’s eyes widened when Siobhan hugged her tight.

“Let me take your coat, Brian,” Sarah said when she finally released herself from Siobhan’s grip.

He’d changed his clothes from earlier, replacing the V-neck sweater with a tight thermal long-sleeved shirt in navy.
I was momentarily hypnotized by the outline of his pectorals.
His pants were the same distressed designer jeans I’d seen him in earlier, with a wide, aged brown belt holding them up.
It was a casual look.
Casual and fucking sexy as hell.
He pulled off his hat to reveal the disheveled blond mop I’d often thought about running my fingers through.
But that would be inappropriate.
As would rubbing my face along his ever present five o’clock shadow.
Damn, he was yummy.
And off-limits.
Not for the first time, I regretted not taking my friends’ advice and abandoning the target for the bartender.

Sarah left to put the coats on the bed with Siobhan in tow and Brian handed me two bottles of Cabernet.
Following me to the kitchen, I handed him the bottle opener as I reached for two more wineglasses.

“Nice slippers.”

I looked down at my feet.
I’d forgotten I was wearing them.

“They’re comfy.
And I wasn’t going anywhere.”

“No need to defend them.”

I ducked my head.
“Right.
So, no work tonight?”

He poured four glasses, emptying the first bottle.
“Nope.
My brother’s taking care of it.
I needed to take the night off.”
He took a sip.
“You smell good.
What is that?
Vanilla?”

“Yeah.
Um, thank you.
Vanilla.”
I stammered and mentally kicked myself for the sudden inability to take a compliment.
“Your brother?”
I asked, looking at him over the rim of my glass as I took a large sip.

“Yeah.
Patrick.
His wife is out of town and he needed something to do.
He’s staying at my place while he’s here since Ryan’s gone for a few days.”

“Ryan’s gone for a few days?”

“Yeah.
Why?
He didn’t tell you?”

I shook my head.
“Why would he tell me something like that?”

Brian smiled and shifted in his seat at the counter.
“I don’t know, maybe because you two are—”

“Friends.”
I cut him off.

“That’s what I was going to say.”

“Right.
So your brother Patrick, he doesn’t live here?”
I climbed on top of the counter and took up my crisscross applesauce position with my back up against the wall.

“Nope.
He lives in Connecticut with his doctor wife, two point five kids, Labrador retriever, and state-of-the-art minivan.”

“What does he do?”

“He runs his own computer software company.”

“Nice.”

“Yep.
So that’s why I am here taking over the bar.
No one else wanted to do it.”

“What did you do before this?”

“Lawyer.
I was in ROTC all through college, did my time, got out.
Started working in the private sector.
Dad died.
Poof.
I’m here.”

“Did you want to leave your job?”

“Didn’t matter.
Didn’t love it.”

“Do you love the bar?”

“Sometimes.”
He gave me a look that made my heart pound before he got up and walked to the window.
“The snow’s really coming down outside, huh?”

“Huh?”
I really needed to stop staring at his ass.
“Yeah.
Supposed to get a lot tonight.”
I joined him at the window as Sarah and Siobhan returned.
“Wine’s on the counter.”

“I was just telling Sarah how you saved the family business.”
Siobhan curled up in my spot on the couch.
There was still a hint of chocolate stain on the arm.
No matter how many times I tried to clean it, it remained, I’m sure, to mock me.

“No one needs to hear that.”
Brian turned a slight shade of red.

“We were going to have to sell it.
Too many violations.
But Brian came in and saved the day.”

“That was nice of you,” I whispered.

“I didn’t do it to be nice.”
He walked back to his seat at the kitchen counter and picked up the take-out menu.

“Oh, he’s just modest.”

“Siobhan, enough.
Come on.
I’m starving.”

“Fine.
Fine.
I was just making conversation.”
She plopped down on the stool next to her brother and took the menu from him.

Their dynamic was fascinating.
They were obviously close, though Siobhan was more of a free spirit.
They balanced each other out.

My brother and I were close but we were so much alike, there was no balancing act.
When we were together, we were as competitive as foes.
And when we had to, we joined forces to hold the other up.
But when we fought, it was a blowup.
Two people so much alike, it was hard to distinguish one from the other.
Which was why we made it a point to keep our visits with each other to a minimum.
Didn’t mean I didn’t love him more than anyone else in the world, it just meant that I knew where our boundaries fell.

Once we settled on the food, Brian called for delivery.
Looking out the window, I kind of felt bad for the delivery guy because the snow was really starting to pile up, but the pity didn’t last once my stomach rumbled loud enough to be heard across the room.

“Was that your stomach?”
Leave it to Sarah to call attention to the embarrassing.

“Yes.
Yes it was.
Shall I give you a dollar for guessing correctly on your first try?”

“Um, maybe we should put out some snacks?”

“Oh please!
I am starving!”
I poked my head in the fridge and pulled out a wedge of Brie and a couple of pears.
Sarah grabbed a box of crackers.

“Want me to make a drink or something?”
Brian offered.

“Yes!”
Sarah and I said together.

“Where’s your liquor?”

I pointed.

“What would you like to drink, Care?”
As soon as he said it, I realized it was the first time he’d used my nickname.

“Yeah, well, you know.
Anything.
I’m easy.”

“Are you now?”
He chuckled as he pulled bottles from the shelf.

Thirty minutes of small talk, stolen glances in Brian’s direction, and a myriad of questions, rapid-fire style, from Siobhan followed the awkward moment.
Thankfully she was interrupted by a long buzz.

“Food’s here!”
Sarah jumped up to get her purse.

“I got it.”
Brian held out his hand and left the apartment to head downstairs.

“Care, I think he likes you!”
Sarah must’ve forgotten Siobhan was in the room because we both froze when she said it and slowly turned our heads in his sister’s direction.

“What?
You aren’t wrong.”
She poured another glass of wine and plopped back on the sofa.

“Spill.”
Sarah sat on the couch next to her.

“Sarah, no.
I’m sorry, Shiv, she’s off her meds.”

“Oh, no.
I don’t mind.
Honestly, I haven’t seen him light up around anyone in a long time.
And pardon me for mentioning it, but I think I feel a vibe coming off you, too.
Why don’t you guys, you know, just try it out?
See where it goes?”

I was being put on the spot by the sister of the guy I’d passed over.
I kind of hoped the floor would open up and swallow me away from the hell that was that moment.

“You see, there was a target and Brian kind of helped me and then there was the gym…” I stared at Sarah, silently imploring her to help me.

“Oh no.
You’re doing great.”

“Well, I am sure Ryan would understand.
It’s not like you two are a thing, right?”

Yup.
Hell.

“What do you know about Ryan?”

“That you two are friends with benefits or whatever.”

“No.
Siobhan, if we’re going to move on here you need to know.
I am her friend with benefits.
You are her friend with benefits.
Ryan is her friend whom she fucks.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.”

“That makes more sense.
Now, if only social media would allow you to classify relationships like that.
You know, ‘One Night Stand,’ ‘Do It Yourself,’ which, by the way, would be my status, ‘Friends with Benefits,’ ‘Friends Who Fuck.’
I should really write a piece on this.
Let me get my notebook.”

Siobhan ran to Sarah’s room to grab her purse and I plopped down in front of Sarah.

“What the fuck?”

“What?
I was just getting intel you won’t ask for.”

“I don’t need you to do that for me.
I am more than capable of finding out information on Brian if I want to.
And I have more than enough on my plate.
I can’t be in a relationship right now and I think taking the path of Brian would take me there.
Ryan is uncomplicated.
It’s just sex.”

“If you think sex is uncomplicated—”

“No, I mean Ryan isn’t the type of guy I would want to be in a relationship with.
With Brian, that’s all I see.
Brian is safe.
And I’ve had enough safe for now.”

“Well, wait too long and Brian won’t be around.
Care, he’s a catch.”

“I know.
I just—I don’t know.”

“Who’s hungry?”
Brian walked in with a huge bag of Chinese takeout.
The smell made my stomach growl again.

“Let’s make sure Caroline gets fed first before we all lose fingers.”
Brian handed me my quart of chicken and broccoli and a pair of chopsticks.

I pulled up a floor pillow to the coffee table in the living room and didn’t wait for everyone else before I dug in.
Brian pulled up a pillow next to me after refilling my wineglass.

“Floor, huh?”

“I like it.
Plus it’s usually just me, Sarah, and Mel.
What’d you order?”
I popped open his container with my chopstick.

“Orange beef.”

“Is it good?”

“Try some.”
He offered me some of his food while he plucked a piece of chicken from my take-out box.

“Are there mushrooms?”

“I don’t think so.
You don’t like them?”

“Allergic.
Hives, stomach issues.
Not pleasant.”

“Good to know.
I’ll never make you anything with mushrooms in it.”

I should have glossed over the comment but the thought of him cooking me something to eat was kind of hot.

“And nothing too spicy.”

“Stomach?”

“Yeah.”
I crinkled my nose and he laughed.

“All right.
No mushrooms, no spicy food.
I’ll remember that.”

“Whatcha talking about?”
Siobhan made herself comfortable on the couch next to Sarah.

“Caroline was just telling me about her aversion to food.”

“Shut up!”
I playfully punched him in the arm.

“Sorry, she was telling me how much time she spends in the bathroom after she eats mushrooms and spicy foods.”

“Asshole!”
I laughed hard enough to spew food on the table.